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Quinn senses my apprehension as he stands in front of me and gently rearranges the bill of my cap so it conceals more of my face.
“You going to be okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” I reply, placing my hood over my head, looking like a total gangster.
“You stay close to me, all right?” he says with a nod. I roll my eyes because we’ve had this discussion five times already.
But I humor him. “Yes, Quinn, I know. Let’s do this already and get the hell outta here,” I say, turning on my heel, as I’ve procrastinated enough.
We’ve parked the car about three blocks away, hoping it remains undetected by the police.
This whole situation is incredibly risky, and one wrong move will mean game over.
So we make sure we blend into the shadows, heads bowed, and remain invisible to partygoers. But the closer we get to the venue, the harder it will be to remain anonymous since there are so many potential witnesses here.
We make a quick beeline for the entrance. The venue is a run-down warehouse in a sketchy industrial part of town. I have no doubt they chose this particular location so they don’t run the risk of any noise complaints.
As we wait in line to enter, I look over at Quinn.
He gives me a reassuring nod, but it’s all for my benefit. He no doubt understands how quickly this can turn to shit. After everything we’ve gone through, everything we’ve fought for—after tonight, it just may all go up in flames.
Shaking those thoughts aside, we pay the cover charge and enter.
The minute we’re inside, I only just refrain from covering my ears as the music assaults my eardrums and vibrates in the pit of my stomach. But this is only the beginning of what’s to come because the farther we venture, the louder and more crowded it becomes.
The vast mass of tangled bodies on the dance floor exceeds three thousand people, not including those above us, milling on the second level.
“Shit,” I curse. There is no way we’ll find Polly without splitting up.
Quinn looks at me and shakes his head, reading my thoughts. I look at Tristan, who bites his lip. He realizes this will be much harder than we originally thought.
The strobe lights, flashing glow sticks, and the thumping bass make it virtually impossible to see or hear a thing, so we’re left with no other option. It will be every man for himself.
“I’ll go upstairs!” I say, cupping my hand over my mouth as I scream into Quinn’s ear.
He, of course, shakes his head, grabbing my arm to stop my retreat.
I yank out of his grip. I don’t like this any more than he does, but what choice do we have?
Tristan intervenes and points at the upstairs balcony, gesturing with his head that he and I go up there together. Quinn clenches his jaw, but he finally nods, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“You watch her,” Quinn warns Tristan, who nods as he grabs my upper arm.
It pisses me off that they think I need a babysitter, but I let it slide because we’re wasting time arguing.
Turning to leave, Quinn quickly latches onto my bicep and spins me around before smashing his lips to mine. I’m taken off guard and cannot return his affection because this kiss isn’t tender. It’s dominant, and it’s a warning.
“You stay close to Tristan, Red,” he cautions, his eyes burning into mine. “We meet back here in twenty minutes, okay?”
He looks at Tristan, who has turned his head, no doubt disgusted by our exchange.
Tristan, however, nods and reaches for my hand as he leads me through the hordes of people.
I turn over my shoulder to look at Quinn, and the pained expression on his face reveals just how unhappy he is that we’re in this situation. I know he fears for my safety. I give him a strained smile, but he doesn’t return it. I watch as he turns to push through the gyrating bodies on the dance floor, ready to start his search.
Focusing on our mission, I try to adjust to the intermittent lighting as I can barely see a few feet in front of me. Tristan’s hand tightens in mine when I get wedged between a couple who want me to be a part of their dancing duo.
I keep my head bowed, not wanting to make eye contact, and slide out between their sweaty bodies when Tristan gives me a gentle tug.
